Origin of Species and Varieties 595 



university is being erected. It is only a century 

 ago that the first specimens of the purple beech 

 were discovered there. 



As it is very improbable that the two last 

 named localities should have received their pur- 

 ple beeches from the first named forest, it seems 

 reasonable to assume that the variety must have 

 been produced at least thrice. 



The purple beech is now exceedingly common 

 in cultivation. But Jaggi succeeded in showing 

 that all the plants owe their origin to the orig- 

 inal trees mentioned above, and are, including 

 nearly all cultivated specimens with the sole ex- 

 ception of the vicinity of Buch, probably derived 

 from the trees in Thiiringen. They are easily 

 multiplied by grafting, and come true from 

 seed, at least often, and in a high proportion. 

 Whether the original trees would yield a pure 

 progeny if fertilized by their own pollen has as 

 yet not been tested. The young seedlings have 

 purple seed-leaves, and may by this means 

 easily be selected by this character, but they 

 seem to be always subjected in a large measure 

 to vicinism. 



Many other instances of trees and shrubs, 

 found in accidental specimens constituting a 

 new variety in the wild state, might be given. 

 The oak-leaved beech has been found in a forest 

 of Lippe-Detmold in Germany and near Ver- 



